


Darkness Becomes Her

by StarBoatStation



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Despair, Despair AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 20:12:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7236757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarBoatStation/pseuds/StarBoatStation
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Despair can truly make one do some unsavory things. After pushing his Lady of Darkness away, Gundam is faced with her in another life, a life enlightened by the call of despair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hahaha. Hi kids. It's been over a year since I've written anything other than RP so please forgive me that it's a bit... Hm. I'm just really rusty. 
> 
> But other than that, please enjoy!!

It had started out simple.

Komaeda had notified Tsukimi of the gathering in the festering hole of Towa City and the news spread through the Ultimate Despair much like the diseased despair that had infected their lives and very beings. It went quick and fast and soon the despicable beings began converging on the skeleton of a city. Gundam Tanaka was one of those cursed members of the party. He was not alone, however. On his shoulder sat perched a sharp falcon, whom Gundam had shared many battles and raids with. Gundam, himself, was just as scarred and brooding as his companion, his hair dangling limply in his dark eyes, face scarred and stuck in a permanent scowl, his dingy and torn coat and scarf billowing behind him in the breeze. How picturesque, as a demon roaming the empty and broken streets of a torn apart city must appear.

"Oi! Dork Lord!"

At the voice, his scowl only deepened. Ugh. Of course the first former classmate he met had to be _him_.

Gundam stopped and turned to face the shark-fanged one known as Kazuichi Souda. He was as, hm, gross as ever - his faded jumpsuit still in need of some serious repair and... cleaning. It was covered in spots of a dark substance that was hard to distinguish between blood and oil and grease. The upper half was tied around his waist, however, showing off an equally dirtied white tank top full of holes. His long greasy hair, the black roots having been a staple since the tragedy, was tied back and sticking out at strange angles from beneath his monokuma-themed welding mask that was pushed up on top of his head. His body was in the same condition Gundam last saw him in - dark circles under his eyes, eyebrow piercing glinting in the sunlight, mechanical right arm whirring and clicking with each movement. Truly the machinery was a work of art, hard-wired directly into Souda's nervous system and made of a lightweight and flexible titanium alloy... Not that Gundam would ever give the mechanic such praise.

"What a coincidence we run into each other here of all places on this world. 'Specially since you hole up in the middle of fuckin' nowhere. How ya been?"  He grinned a cheeky, sharp-toothed smile and clapped the metal hand hard on the back of Gundam's shoulder. "You still not talkin'?"

In response, the former breeder gave a small grunt, in passive affirmation and in mild pain at the aggressiveness of the hit. Long ago, he had vowed silence to the Queen of Despair herself, Junko Enoshima. She had commented how his use of words were certainly something he held in high regard so he should cease. Also, he looked more menacing when he kept his mouth shut, to which he agreed.

"Jesus fuck, man. I almost miss your crazy ass insane talk." He frowned, his eyebrows pulling together in a sharp angle. "If only cause it made me wanna shoot myself every time you opened your mouth."

Gundam’s scowl remained in place as he rolled his eyes. His avian companion nipped at his hair with a small chitter. She was getting restless. He sighed and nodded, signaling her okay to take off into the air, which she did with a harsh cry.

Souda watched the bird fly for a bit, his own usual scowl settling onto his features, as Gundam continued on forward down the street.

“Hey, dumb ass. D’you even know where yer goin’?”

Gundam stopped in his tracks. He didn’t. But he could find his way… probably. Tracking was easiest in a forest, but a man made forest of concrete shouldn’t be too difficult. But he was weary and tired from the trip. Might as well follow the loud one, so he could rest sooner. He huffed out a sigh and turned back to Souda who was smirking like the ass he was.

“Didn’t think so. I’ll take ya to where we usually meet… But.” His smirk curled into a wider, toothier sneer. “You gotta say one thing to me. Anything.”

Gundam huffed. He wanted to say many things to this man - curse him for taking his animals and torturing them for his demented machine testing, practically taking over the School Life of Mutual Killing, ask him so many questions… Most of all about the event with _her_ … The one he broadcast all over the private Ultimate Despair frequency.

Instead of any of these things, Gundam huffed out a sigh, narrowing his eyes as he walked up right up to Souda, and opened his mouth -

_“Fuck you.”_

His voice was hoarse and it hurt from lack of use, but it was enough to appease Souda who barked out a laugh at the choice of words to break his vow.

“Wow, buddy! Didn’t know you had it in ya!” He smirked up at him after his laughter subsided. “Heh. Follow me. And make sure to keep up. I won’t come lookin’ for ya if you get lost.” With that, Souda turned and started heading down a dim side street. Gundam followed along closely, but not too close. They weren’t that good of friends anymore.

After about 20 minutes of walking through empty streets and ducking and cutting through abandoned buildings, the two arrived at a seemingly empty apartment building. Anyone could see the structure was once elegant and luxurious, but not anymore; not since the Warriors of Hope and their army of Monokumas and Monokuma children took over. The Ultimate Elementary School students had long since disappeared, their bodies never having been found, and the Monokuma children all scattering, going into hiding and doing their own thing.

Gundam shuddered at the thought. He could tell the children were still wandering around. He even saw several watching them as they traveled, always staying just out of direct sight. Truly eerie.

With the electricity still on, they were able to take the elevator up to the penthouse easily. As soon as the doors opened, however, yelling could be heard and a scalpel came whizzing towards Gundam’s head. He managed to duck it in time for it embed itself into the wall of the elevator behind him.

“Ah, missed!” Mikan Tsumiki could be seen beaming even beneath the medical mask she wore.

“Wow, Tsumiki-chan. Your aim is horrible.” Teruteru Hanamura was sneering from his spot on a cushy, luxurious couch.

Gundam sniffed, moving into the room to see who else was gathered. Not many, from the looks of it, so far.

Tsumiki was puttering around in her worn nurse uniform covered in grime and blood. Her hair was tied up using Monokuma hair ties identical to the, if not the exact ones, hair ties Junko would wear. Even more bandages covered her arms and legs, no doubt over still healing wounds from gods only know what. One could only surmise what kind of medical experiments she posed on herself. Gundam had once caught her making incisions on her chest similar to the ones a mortician would make on a corpse during an initial autopsy. How she was still alive, he would never know, nor did he care. She was obviously restless.

Hanamura was lounging on the couch, his apron and pressed chef’s uniform surprisingly pristine among all the other grime the other members bore. Not a hair was out of place in his uniquely styled coif, either. Honestly. How did he stay so pristine?

The Imposter was huddled in a corner, their head and face covered in old, bloody bandages and their plain simple black suit worn and fraying at the cuffs and shoulders. Hm. They didn’t change much, either.

Akane Owari was resting on the floor, her thin, skeletal frame appearing to be on the edge of collapsing. Gundam could just barely hear her wheezy breath over Hanamura’s giggling to tell that she was indeed still alive.

The only other Seed of Despair in the penthouse was Ibuki Mioda. She was doing what she was always doing whenever Gundam saw her - watching idol performances on the television with a forlorn expression on her features. The scar on her throat was angry and red in the light of the TV. If one were to look closely, they could see her just barely mouthing along to the words the girls were singing, her voice long gone, ripped out by her own hands.

Kazuichi soon joined Hanamura on the couch to ridicule Tsumiki who was now scratching and picking at one of the fresh wounds beneath her many bandages.

_Disgusting._

“So is this everyone, so far?” Tsumiki asked anxiously, her eyes roving over to Souda on the couch.

The mechanic shrugged. “Shit, I dunno. I ran into Mr. Petplay over there while I was out lookin’ for spare parts. Komaeda is still takin’ care of that brat and Mr. Ultimate Hope is lurking around somewhere.”

Tsumiki huffed before departing, obviously not able to stand the penthouse any longer. His fatigue having subsided from being on edge and his own desire for silence taking over, Gundam, too, found himself departing the complex. He hardly saw himself spending much time with the other former Ultimates, so why bother lingering?

Walking out into the empty streets was eerie, even Gundam could not deny that. Under the watchful, unseen eyes of the Monokuma Children, he wandered mostly silently, the only sound being his boots hitting the pavement as he walked. The skeleton of a city was reminiscent of a beached whale - scavengers, man and beast alike no doubt, had taken what they could, leaving behind the rotting shell. Gaping holes of windows, doorways, and random holes blasted through walls beckoned him closer, each seeming more lonely than the last.

After walking for a while, the cityscape began to lessen a bit as he approached Towa Tower. Hmph. Not that impressive. He decided, instead, to veer right towards what appeared to be a shrine, abandoned much like the rest of the city. Gundam’s scowl seemed to lessen as he approached. The shrine was quiet, the only sounds being the wind rustling the surrounding foliage and the low rumble of the ocean, much like the city. However, there weren’t any Monokuma Children around, which was definitely a plus.

This would be a good place to set up camp while they were stuck here, waiting for the plan that Enoshima had laid out for them. Gundam huffed out a sigh before venturing forth into the shrine, already mentally preparing and planning on how he’d make this into his temporary quarters.


	2. Chapter 2

It was supposed to be simple.

A week had passed. Gundam had visited the penthouse twice, only to see who had arrived and if they had an update, yet. Nearly everyone else had shown up in that week, the only three who had yet to show up were Komaeda, Kamukura, and… Sonia.

Even thinking of her name made Gundam’s insides churn.

Matters regarding the former Princess, now self-declared Queen, were… complicated to say the least. Gundam and Sonia were once inseparable - a formidable duo who would spend hours and hours talking about miscellaneous things like animals or new magic rituals or traveling, sometimes they would even just be comfortable sitting in silence with each other; truly a remarkable friendship which later developed into something more.

They never properly dated, per se. It was always subtle - hugs that lasted too long, an occasional hand hold, even a few soft, shy kisses being exchanged - but they were happy with that. It seemed to fit them and their own speed perfectly. Sure there were whispers, rumors that Sonia’s intentions were not true, that she was only spending time with him to improve her image as a princess. Gundam just brushed them off, fully aware of the truth. None of them knew Sonia as he did, after all.

It wasn’t until he had met one Junko Enoshima that his views on himself, his world, and their relationship had changed. He began shutting her out, pushing her away and avoiding her so as to avoid disappointment and bitter heartbreak. She would constantly text him or stop by his dorm room to check up on him, try to entice him back into that blissful haze of ignorance from the truth. When she finally ceased, he couldn’t help but sigh in relief and pain. It was a strange feeling, working so hard to shove your best friend away and have them finally leave you alone. As the time progressed, the silence of his life in Sonia’s absence had become a comfort, his only solace.

_Silence and callousness…_

Enoshima would visit, occasionally, but it wasn’t the same. She would talk with him, mostly about herself, and inquire about his life and show interest when he would talk about his blog. She was pleasant enough company. One visit, however, she seemed extra happy. Upon inquiry, he had discovered Sonia had fallen to despair and was now a faithful follower of Junko’s twisted beliefs. It didn’t take long for Gundam to follow suit, falling into despair’s arms like a drowning man to his savior.

They still didn’t talk much after that. After the Tragedy hit, Gundam had taken his vow of silence and Sonia had gone back to Novoselic to start the spread of despair in Europe. With no rhyme or reason to speak to each other anymore, they let their unspoken conflict fester like an open and rotting wound. While he pushed her away, he could never bring himself to hate her… never her.

Gundam was making his way back to the shrine after a short meeting with the others when he sensed it - a slight shift in the air, a tenseness as if the surrounding area was holding its breath, someone was here and they were waiting for him. He ducked behind a tree, hand resting on the sleek and worn dagger at his hip. It was most likely that the fiend already saw him and he cursed himself under his breath for not being wary of them sooner.

Peeking around the trunk of the tree, he saw a cloaked figure standing before the shrine, head bowed. They appeared to be praying. His eyes narrowed. Not very inconspicuous, were they? He wouldn’t be able to surprise them, not while they were waiting for him to arrive, so instead he squared his shoulders and stepped out from behind the tree, moving towards the figure confidently. He stopped a few feet behind them, fingers gripping the handle of the dagger and pulling it from its sheath with a soft whisper. Who was this person? Komaeda? He did have a flair for the dramatic. Perhaps one of the surviving citizens of the city? Doubtful, but humans were unpredictable.

As he was mulling over his options of rushing them now or waiting… They turned, shedding the cloak from their shoulders. Gundam froze at the sight of gleaming golden hair and porcelain skin.

“Hello, Tanaka-san.” Her voice rang clear through the quiet of the shrine, clear and lilting as a bell. Before him stood the Queen of Novoselic and of his heart, Sonia Nevermind. “It’s been a while.”


	3. Chapter 3

To say Gundam’s mind was reeling would be an understatement. So many thoughts were running through his head, it rendered him… thoughtless. He didn’t move, didn’t emote. Just… stared hard at the woman standing before him. From what he could tell the despair had not been kind. Her skin, which was usually gleaming with a flawless glow, was ashen and pale, covered in various scars and bruise; he didn’t even want to think about what may have caused them. Her hair, as well, which was usually long and flowing was pulled up into a braid which was wrapped around itself, pinned in place with worn pearl hair pins. Her face seemed tired and hard, almost as if she hadn’t smiled in a long time.

“...Are you still under that vow of silence? How odd... To see you so committed, for once.” Her voice held no humor or light, either. It was sharp like satin covered steel and her words stabbed like a knife. And her eyes… Gods, her eyes. What were once shining and bright, filled with light and laughter were now hard and cold, dead like a frozen lake.

“...Sonia.” His voice cracked from misuse and he cleared his throat a bit. It stung. “What are you doing here..?”

“What, I can’t visit an old… classmate of mine?”

His frown deepened. That’s right. Why should she harbor such feelings towards him as he did her? He was the one who pushed her away after all. Any fondness for him probably turned sour long ago.

“...No. Now leave, be gone from my sight.” He sheathed his blade and brushed past her to head towards the main part of the shrine. He was tired; tired of the situation and tired of her.

A low chuckle could be heard, but he didn’t even bother to turn as he stopped.

“How typical. Running from your problems as always, Tanaka-san.” Her words cut deep, as one would expect. “Always the coward.”

“...Heh. My reasons are mine and mine alone, your highness.” He squared out his shoulders and moved forward into the shrine. “Now get out.”

Without so much as another word, he shut the door of the structure behind him and sank to the floor. Hearing her footsteps recede, Gundam allowed himself a sigh of relief. He felt as though he’d been standing on the very edge of a knife that entire time, but now he was back. Back to his darkness and silenceness. What more could one ask for, really?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one was short. I wanted to make it longer, but I figured it would work better as two separate chapters. So here we go! 
> 
> I'm honestly kinda making this up as I go. Have mercy.


	4. Chapter 4

Sonia’s arrival had caused a bit of a stir within the Ultimate Despair; it had meant weapons, resources, and a pretty girl to look at. She had shed the cloak and was donning a simple yet elegant black gown which stopped just below the knees, her arms and legs clad in black lace. It made her appear all the more the dark queen she was. Souda and Hanamura, of course, were shamelessly flirting away whenever Gundam visited the penthouse for the meetings. While she seemed completely disinterested, Souda seemed to be the slightly more successful of the pair, much to Gundam’s disgust. Occasionally at meetings, she’d have her feet resting in his lap or a hand resting on his shoulder which made the mechanic ooze pride and smugness.

While Gundam kept his gaze averted from anyone in the room, he would occasionally glance up and catch Sonia staring hard at him with those frozen eyes. Why on this damned earth she would be staring, he hand no idea. Perhaps she was thinking of all the ways to kill him, who knew. It was after one such instance that he decided to confront her.

It was a few days after she had arrived and they were discussing what should be done while they waited for Komaeda and Kamukura. Some suggested going to find them, others wanted to just sit and wait, the rest wanted to just leave. They had been there for a few weeks and still didn’t have a plan and Kamukura, who most likely had some sort of semblance of a plan, had yet to show up. Eventually they came to an agreement - should one of the two fail to arrive by the beginning of the next week, they would leave and attempt to reconvene another time. Having everyone altogether this long was getting dangerous.

After the meeting, they broke off to go their separate ways, but instead of heading back to his shrine, he waited for Sonia. She’d find him, he knew. She was clever at hunting and reading when a presence was nearby, she’d no doubt find him with little difficulty, and she did. Gundam was perched on the table of an abandoned restaurant reading through his notebook when she came in.

“Hm. I never would have pegged you for the american burger joint kinda guy.” Her nose scrunched up in disgust as she kicked aside some discarded menus that rested on the floor.

“Well you hardly know me anymore.” He replied, not looking up from the worn pages.

“Yes, and I’d like to keep it that way.” The disdain in her voice was evident. She didn’t want to be here just like himself. But it was necessary. “What do you want? I have better things to be doing, you know.”

“If that were true, you wouldn’t have come in the first place.”

Gundam could just see an eyebrow twitch in annoyance and he couldn’t help but smirk. Looks like he hit the nail on the head.

He shut the book with a muted snap and pocketed it. He could feel those eyes on him once again, and this time when he looked up to meet them, they didn’t glance away, they held his gaze, the weight of unsaid words weighing down on them both. Only when it became unbearable was Sonia the one to speak.

“...Why?”

“You’ll have to be more specific, your highness.”

“Why did you shut me out, Gundam?” Her voice just barely softened at the question. She’d obviously been asking herself that question for quite a while.

“...I believe I mentioned my reasons are my own. Perhaps I grew weary of you. I cannot deny your constant smiling and light was… grating.” He inwardly cringed at his own words. Of course that wasn’t the reason, but after all this time and all the bitterness and hatred, there was no way he was going to tell her the reason he kicked her to the curb was because he began believing childish rumors. “You were so naïve, it was painful.”

Any softness she may have displayed immediately hardened at his words and she was moving before he could get another out. She slapped him, hard, right across the face. The harsh sound echoed off the walls and his cheek stung. He smirked, enjoying the tingling it left on his skin.

“...I hate you, Gundam Tanaka. I pray your death is a pitiful one.” And with that, she turned and left Gundam to nurse his pride and stare hard at the floor.

_I hate you… I hate you…_

Her words replayed in his mind as he began to laugh. It had been so long since he felt such despair - this despair brought on by the one he still loved saying such scornful and poison-filled words. “And I love you, Sonia Nevermind…”


	5. Chapter 5

As the week continued on, Gundam hardly left the shine. He sat there in the musty darkness going through his spiral of despair as he might usually do if he found himself becoming too passive. It kept him grounded, so to speak, reminding him why he did all he had done. First he’d start with a happy thought or memory he had and then he’d immediately think of what he had done to ruin that. However, this time, instead of raising a new breed of animal just to cause another to go extinct, he only thought of Sonia.

He would think back on their first meeting at the entrance ceremony, how lovely she looked, smiling and so full of hope… But soon that smile was replaced with a look of shocked hurt as Gundam slammed the door in her face. Words of praise turned to words of scorn, and gentle hand holding and caresses turned to harsh slaps. Gundam’s hand rested on his cheek, the phantom trace of that hit still stinging his skin. He chuckled bitterly. How pathetic for a demon such as he to be pining after the past.

Eventually he stood, stretching out his sore limbs and moving for the doors to push them open and let in the fresh night air. The breeze ruffled his hair back from his forehead as he breathed in the smell of the trees and the sea. Despite all that was happening, he felt fairly at ease.

...That is until he heard a distant explosion. He looked toward the city just in time to see a large smoke cloud begin to rise as one of the smaller skyscrapers began to collapse. This wasn’t just blowing things up for fun, Gundam knew; he couldn’t say how he knew, but he knew. He took off in a sprint before he could help himself, running towards the city.

When he arrived, it was chaos. Men and women clad in dark suits were running around rounding up the scattered Monokuma Children who were trying their hardest to run from the demons. When one spotted him, they shouted and several others were running to join her to rush Gundam. He scowled and threw down one of the smoke bombs he usually resorted to using in this kind of situation. It was arcane and hardly elegant but effective as it left the group coughing and temporarily blinded while he ran and ducked out of sight.

He waited, lurking in the shadows, until they gathered their bearings and split up to search the area. One was headed right for him, but he didn’t move to leave. He waited. The trick to hunting like this was let the prey in as close as you could before pouncing and it wasn’t until the fiend just walked past him that Gundam was able to swiftly and silently dispatch him.

Upon closer inspection, Gundam scowled at the classic suit uniform of the Future Foundation. So… They had finally arrived to apprehend them all. Looks as though they had lingered here together for too long. He huffed out a sharp sigh and set forth into the city. If he were a coward, he would turn tail and run… But Gundam Tanaka was no coward. So he stuck to the shadows as he made his way to the center of the city, avoiding any direct conflict. He was underprepared, lacking in his army of demonic beasts. He would have to scold himself for that later. But for now, he must proceed, locate any of the other Remnants, and see if they had a plan.

The trip into the city was mostly uneventful, the sounds of explosions and yelling being the only sound in the area. Gundam scoffed softly and curved towards the sound of the explosions. He could just see the fighting and manic silhouettes of Nekomaru and Pekoyama in the near distance. They seemed to be faring well so he headed for the apartment complex where their makeshift headquarters was.

He didn’t get far before a group of foundation members swarmed him. He silently scolded himself for allowing himself to be surrounded so easily before unsheathing his blade. “Come forth and challenge me, fiends. We shall all dine in hell tonight…” A few of the members rushed him, and he smirked. “Hah! Good! You face me head on instead of hiding behind your crude guns like cowards!”

They were dispatched quickly regardless of their courage. Gundam would not succumb so easily. The remaining cowards pointed their guns at him, ready to shoot should the need arise… and it would. He would not surrender to such weak beings as these. He began to back up when he ran into something, or rather someone.

“Oi, hamster fucker, duck!”

Gundam’s scowled only deepened but he did as he was told, dropping to the ground. In the next instant, gunfire erupted around him and the suit clad foundation members dropped dead. The former breeder sniffed and stood, straightening out his coat. “You of all people… are the last I would expect to save me.”

Souda scoffed and brought his trusty machine gun up to rest against his shoulder as he frowned up at Gundam. “Not like I’d normally choose to save ya. But we’re kinda under siege and yer part’a the Remnants. Enoshima used ya for somethin, right? Can really afford to lose anyone right now.”

Gundam smirked. “My, my, scum. Are you developing a soft side for me?”

“Ew. Fuck that. Just be more careful. I’m tryin ta look for Kamukura, he’s here somewhere and must have _some_ idea of what to do.”

He nodded. “Very well. I shall aide in your search and gather the others the best I can.” He didn’t bother waiting for a response before turning to head for the heart of the city. Souda scoffed before retreating off in the opposite direction.

It didn’t take much to find several others - Hanamura was busy filleting the victims over a roaring fire of what used to be the library, Tsumiki was torturing several others in the hospital, Koizumi was photographing for possible propaganda, and Owari was still at the penthouse. He relayed information, telling them to hold their own until Kamukura was located. They were all obviously hesitant but agreed, eventually, upon seeing it was the best course of action.

He was just about to circle back to where he last saw Mioda with her flamethrowing guitar when he heard a scream and gunfire. That was considerably closer and no doubt a fellow Remnant was over there. He arrived in a plaza, bodies and carnage spread out everywhere, and at the center of it all was Sonia, his Warrior Queen, draped in stolen weaponry and gunning down the waves of fiends who dared get too close.

Gundam was not one of these average fiends. He pressed closer when a moment of quiet passed through the area, what members that were nearby having fallen prey to her superior marksmanship. When she saw him, however, she did not hesitate to point a gun at him as well.

“Tanaka… What’s to stop me from shooting you where you stand?” Her eyes were hard and cold, hair fallen from it’s updo and flowing freely down her back as her steady, blood-covered hands clutched the pistol aimed at him.

“...Nothing. Nothing at all, my Queen. You have every right to wipe my existence from this Earth.” He stepped closer. “I would welcome it, if my death be by your hand.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

He didn’t get a chance to respond. Suddenly, they were surrounded once again. The two Remnants dropped into defensive mode, wiping out as many as they could manage, but Sonia was running out of ammo.

“We must depart! We do not have time for this filth!”

“Funny. I could say the same about you, yet I used to spend all my time with you.”

“Sonia, _please_. We do not have time for this!”

She frowned but continued to shoot as best as she could while he sliced and hit to his best ability. He was becoming overwhelmed and he knew it, but while he slashed at the air, they kept their distance. He was just about to lunge at a nearby fiend when he heard it-

 _“NO!”_ **BANG!**

The world seemed to slow as Gundam turned to see a shimmer of pale gold falling to the ground with a muffled thud and clatter of guns on the concrete… Sonia was fallen… and blood was blooming across her chest over her pale as cream skin. Gundam’s blood ran cold as he looked down at her, his blade falling to the ground with a clatter. He dropped to his knees and gathered her in his arms, brushing hair from her face.

“Sonia… Sonia, my Sonia…”

Her eyes opened and she looked up at him, those cold eyes softening. “Tana-... Gundam…”

“...You fool! Why… Why did you do that!?” He quickly pressed the heel of his hand to the wound hoping to stem the bleeding until he could get her to Tsumiki.

She cracked a small smile at him, a slender hand reaching up to weakly smack the side of his head. “...You idiot. Why do you think?”

Confusion rattled his brain as he looked down at her, trying to piece together everything. Of all the hate, all the spite, everything he had done, all she had said to him, and yet she was willing to take a bullet from him and-

Sudden realization hit him like a charging bull. She never hated him. Never despised him. She was trying to hate him as he was trying to make her hate him, but it could never stick. Sonia Nevermind had only ever loved Gundam Tanaka.

For the first time in a long time… Gundam felt tears gathering in his eyes as her blood soaked through his own pants and pooled onto the ground beneath them - hot, burning tears of regret and heartbreak as the one he loved lay bleeding out in his arms.

“M-My Lady of Darkness… My Goddess… Do not leave me.” He murmured, holding her close. The shot had been a through and through, there was no hope to slow the blood on his own.

Her small smile remained as she looked up at him. “I wouldn’t dare, King of my Heart…” Despite her words, he could see the light and life leaving her.

“Sonia… My precious Sonia… I’m so sorry. Enoshima, she-”

A cool finger was pressed to his lips, effectively halting his words. “Shh… I know. I’m just glad I was able to be of use… one more time.” Her smile faltered as her seaglass green eyes shone with tears.

Gundam hiccuped a small sob as he held her close. He could just feel her arms weakly give him a small squeeze back… before falling limply to her sides. His shoulders shook as he held back sobs. All that time… wasted. The atrocious sins committed that could have been avoided… All in the past. But this was the present, and presently the members of the Future Foundation who were watching the situation unfold began pressing in.

He pressed a feather-light kiss to her cheek before lowering her to the ground. Her blood had stained his clothing, his hands, and was even beginning to stain her long, lovely hair. Truly a Lady of Darkness. His Lady of Darkness. He slowly rose, gripping his blade tightly in his hands.

“Freeze! Stop right there, monster!”

Gundam stopped at that word, looking over at the pathetic coward who dare sling such pathetic attempts at insults. “...Monster. Is that what you call us, weakling? I cannot deny I am no saint… But look at her. Gaze upon her visage and _dare_ call her a monster.” He looked back down at her. She looked so peaceful… Almost as if sleeping. “She was the only light in this world… And you-” He pointed the blade at the man. “You extinguished it. And now… I shall extinguish you.”

Red stained his vision and he felt a power and rage surge… He knew this feeling well. Despair. It’s all he had, now. All he could rely on. It fueled him and spurred him on as he lunged, faster than lightening. He managed to take down at least three members before the rest even registered what happened. Gundam had rigorous training and adrenaline to thank for his speed and ability. These weaklings hardly stood a chance. Gundam no longer had anything to lose.

They shot at him, but he couldn’t register the pain when bullets grazed his limbs. He was a machine, hell-bent on revenge, and fueled on despair. It was only when he had run out of victims did he stop. “Heh… HahahAHAHAH-! BEHOLD! The weakness of man! How truly pathetic attempts you have mad-” His speech was cut short at a prick to the skin of his neck and his vision blurred immediately. It wasn’t long until he was dropping to the ground, darkness spotting his vision.

“Jesus, I thought he’d never shut up.”

_Who goes there..?_

“We have to get him into containment, quickly.”

“And the princess?”

“She’s lost too much blood… Leave her.” 

_I will see you soon, my lady. We shall rule hell together, you and I. On that, I promise._

It was supposed to be simple... But then. Things were never that simple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW!  
> So sorry about that delay! I got wrapped up in my RP group and then DR3 started. B))  
> I'm so glad to hear how much you all love this fic, tbh. It means so much to me, really. Thank you so much. 
> 
> Is this the end, though~? ;)


	6. Epilogue

A new school year. Hardly worth his time, but this school was different.

Gundam Tanaka was starting as a first year student at Hope’s Peak Academy and thankfully that meant he’d have the opportunity to spend as much time as he wanted on his skillset - animal breeding and taming. That fact alone was enough to just brighten his spirits a little.

As he stepped into the entrance hall, however, we was overcome with a sense of vertigo and the world seemed to fall away. Before he knew it, there was a bright, blinding light taking over his vision.

“Gh-! What manner of madness is this?!”

He shielded his eyes against the radiance before it dimmed down and a door was revealed to him. What could possibly lie beyond? A portal to another dimension? Perhaps a library full of mysterious secrets, waiting to be discovered? His curiosity getting the better of him, and an insatiable urge to open that door, he did so and stepped inside.

“...Ah.” He deflated a bit at merely finding a classroom, within. “What is the meaning of this?”

There were already a couple students milling about- a mousy, purple haired girl, another female with vibrant red hair, a short cranky looking blonde male, and another short female with pigtails resembling the yellow, curved fruit.

“That’s what we’d like to know, dumbass." The small, angry blonde barked out. "We all just kinda showed up here and the door locked behind us.”

Gundam reeled at that, turning to try to door. Locked, just as he said. Well then. “...Hmph! Very well.” He swept to the back of the room and took a seat, deeming this the best thing to do, seeing as they could do nothing else.

As time passed, others began to file into the room, each one just as confused as the last. This was truly becoming worrisome. A full class was forming and no teacher had shown and the door locked behind each new student? Something was going on, certainly. Gundam sighed, looking towards the wall as he thought over possible situations to explain their plight.

“Ah, hello?”

He glanced over to the door at the new arrival.

“Am I late..?”

Gundam had certainly never met this girl, he would remember, but he couldn’t help but feel a minor twinge of deja vu at the sight of her pale blonde hair and bright seaglass green eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted an epilogue indicating Sonia actually survived to make it to the New World Program. Surprise! 
> 
> I couldn't just let my princess die.


End file.
